The Lost Boys
by Anonymistress
Summary: Dipper finds himself in the forest with a boy named Wirt, the woodsman, and finds himself trapped between two demons, one familiar and one not so familiar.
1. Chapter 1

"Wait... Where am I?" Dipper asked, to no one in particular. He was alone, in the woods. Lost, actually. He didn't recognize it, but he had a feeling he wasn't in Gravity Falls anymore... Or even Oregon. "Hello!" he called, but his voice was flimsy, and faded into the wind.

"Hello there..." whispered a sad, broken voice behind him. Dipper turned, and found a oversized gnome carrying a lantern. Or, that's what he thought, at first. But the 'gnome' was taller than Dipper, and looked moderately human. A brunet, just like him. He had a long red gnome cap, and a couple of axes of various sizes on a belt. But most notable were his sad, broken eyes. There was no hope in them, and a frown tugged at his cheeks.

Dipper wondered what he was so sad about, but he wasn't willing to just ask. The guy had axes, for Pete's sake! "Who are you?" asked Dipper, shivering.

The other boy took a deep breath, "I am Wirt, the woodsman. Everyone has a torch to burn," The boy taps his lantern, giving it a soft smile. "and this here's mine. I grind the Edelwood trees into oil to keep this lantern lit," he explained, and that smile faded. Dipper had a feeling it would not return so soon.

"That sounds... Unique. Um, do you know which way Gravity Falls is? Or Oregon?" Dipper asked, cocking his head.

Wirt shook his head. "You're in the Unknown. There is no way back. I suggest find a place to stay, a job to do, and beware the Beast." He let out a sad, pained sigh.

"Um, sorry, I don't think I heard that last part right... The Beast?" questioned the shorter of the two.

"If you remain lost, you will run into him. Now, go north, and find your niche. It awaits you." Wirt turned, and went to a tree, and began to swing his axe at the branches.

Dipper began to walk about, but thought there was something more to the other boy. He hoped maybe he ran into him again... And if he did, he could learn more about the Unknown.


	2. Chapter 2

Dipper walked, and walked, and walked. Endlessly walking. The surroundings never seemed to change from the bleak, dark forest around him. But he did notice it was getting dark.

 _"You really don't wanna be here at night, Pine Tree!"_ said a gleeful voice he knew all too well.

"Bill," he muttered, before turning around to see the triangle floating there, a sadistic grin on its form.

Bill did an exact imitation of the sound that plays when a winner is determined in wrestling. _"WE HAVE A WINNER!"_ Confetti streamed down from the sky, as the triangle put his arm around Dipper.

The boy immediately pushed away. "What do you want, Bill?" he asked in a defensive tone.

The confetti stopped, and faded altogether. _"More like what you want, kid! You want out of this place, right? And I know just the way!"_ Bill circled Dipper, before stopping.

Dipper began to feel sick, but hopeful too. Bill wouldn't want to help Dipper for free... "Forget it, Bill. I know better than trusting you again!"

 _"You'll change your mind, I'm sure of it! Oh, and, you should probably find a place to hide when it's nighttime! That's when the killer clowns come out!"_ Bill vanished with a pop, but the surroundings around Dipper stayed grey. He realized that they were always a shade of grey, and that scared him. He pinched his arm, just to make sure, and started walking again.

In the woods behind Dipper, one was watching. One who would seek to snatch the soul of the boy. The Beast was watching, just as Wirt had warned. And Dipper was its next target...


	3. Chapter 3

Dipper Pines kept walking. It felt like hours on end, and his surroundings only got darker, but mostly stayed the same. Now, he was getting worried, as stars began to appear overhead, between the desolate branches of trees. Dipper didn't think that killer clowns were afoot here, but he couldn't be sure. After all, this was the Unknown. Even if there weren't killer clowns... There would be other monsters, he was sure.

A noise. Thwak! Dipper stopped, feeling unsafe. The sound came again, just as close. Thwak!

"Hello?" he called, and there was a thump, before heavy footfalls were heard, getting louder as they approached him. Every bone in the boy's body said run, but he stayed still, frozen in shock and fear.

"You?" asked an incredulous, familiar voice, as the owner's face came into view. It was Wirt, holding his lantern up, to light Dipper's face. "What are you doing out here? Don't you know the Beast is afoot here? You need shelter, and light... Come with me, I have a place." He offered his hand to Dipper, and the boy quickly took it.

They scurried through the dark of the forest quickly. Dipper almost tripped a couple of times, but Wirt usually warned him, "jump," or "duck," whenever there was a root or a branch that would cause him trouble. Wirt knew this forest like the back of his hand, the shorter boy noted. "Why can't we just leave?" huffed an out of breath Dipper Pines.

Wirt didn't answer. He continued, a little slower now, which Dipper was thankful for, but he would have preferred an answer.

Finally, light seemed to reach the trees around them. There it was, an old Mill, lit with candles inside. "This mill was used by the last woodsman, the same way I use it now. We grind the trees into oil to fuel the lantern," Wirt explained, as they entered the room.

"Thank you so much..." Dipper breathed, relieved.

Wirt nodded, closing the door behind him. "You may stay here until morning. Then, you must leave. There's a guest bedroom upstairs. I'll be just outside if you need me."

And he walked back outside, lantern in hand.


	4. Chapter 4

The mattress was lumpy, and there was a hole in the ceiling. Dipper gazed out of it wistfully, before realizing he couldn't sleep. He just wasn't tired enough. He grumbled, and sighed, and went back downstairs, and outside. He saw Wirt, hard at work, gathering wood. "Could I help you? I can't sleep." Dipper said.

Wirt nodded, and handed him the smaller of the two axes. "Gather twigs and small branches, and do not stray from the lantern's light."

The shorter one nodded. "Right..." He began to scour the ground, picking up any wood he found. When his hands were full, he returned to the light of lantern, and placed them beside it, where Wirt had begun a pile.

Wirt worked hard at big branches, cutting them into sizable pieces, and putting them in the pile. He always kept an eye on his precious lantern, no matter what he was doing.

Dipper began to work up a sweat, and get more tired. He finished another handful, and went to put it with the rest. He sighed, not really knowing what he was doing, and tripped over the lantern, exposing its inside to the cool night air.

Wirt's expression went from disbelief to anger in half a second. He began to shake, his entire body, and Dipper crawled backwards, on his butt.

Branches or roots seemed to reach up from the ground, going around Wirt's legs, up his torso, down his arms, up to his head. They branches out all over his body, and Wirt's eyes rolled back as they did.

Still shaking, his eyes closed. The branches that gone to the sides of his head branched out like deer antlers.

Finally, the change stopped, as he opened his eyes, to reveal black swirls, with white light glowing through them. He reached down, and picked up the lantern, his branches or whatever disconnected from the ground.

Dipper was frozen on shock, on the ground.

A deep voice escaped the taller boy's lips. _"You shouldn't have done that, child."_

The cowering boy shook. "W-Wirt?" he stuttered, eyes wide, fear potrayed in every aspect of him.

The pale _creature_ in front of him cracked a smile. _"No... I am the one you call... The Beast."_

Dipper suddenly started moving. He stood up, and started running in the other direction, as fast as he could. It was hard, he was so tired. Why had he let Wirt guide him? It was a mistake, Wirt was the Beast after all...

 _"You just can't get enough of me, can ya?"_ asked a voice behind him he knew all too well. Dipper let out a pained groan.


	5. Chapter 5

Bill grinned with his eye. _"Think fast, kid! Agree to my terms, or we'll see what the other guy does to ya!"_

The boy growled in frustration, before yelling. "Fine! What do you want?"

The triangle chuckled. _"Only your soul!"_

Dipper blinked, looking horrified.

 _"Just kidding, Pine Tree! Well... To get you outta here,"_ Bill leaned in and whispered in Dipper's ear.

"No. Never again." The brunet shook his head. "Never!"

The triangle studied his nonexistent nails, silently. Dipper tilted his head, before he heard the loud footfalls, and his eyes widened. _"Hear that, Pine Tree? He's after you. And only I can keep you safe now, kid! Unless you have a double death wish, or something!"_

Dipper thought fast. "Fine." He stuck out his hand. "Take me home, Bill."

A sinister chuckle, before the dream demon took Dipper's hand, and their hands were enveloped in a blue fire.

And in a moment, there was one.

The Beast paraded around in Wirt's body like it was his own. Well, in a way, it was. He who held the lantern would hold the very soul of the Beast... And said beast decided he would be the one to hold his soul. Well, some of the time. Some of time, he would lean back, and just watch. Doing the task of gathering wood and grinding it into oil was exhausting, and for so very long had the Beast had others do it.

Lazy or not, he was in control now, rushing through the forest after his prey. Then he found him, on the ground, fast asleep. This confused him, but not for long. It was perfect.

The Beast raised a hand, and the Edelwood branches began to grow around the boy... Until they were blasted back in a golden light.

He rose, the fallen boy, pushing up from the ground. His eyes opened, and revealed yellow, with long, cat like irises. _"Ah, Beasty! How's it been?"_

The forest spirit let out a pained sigh, before it spoke in it's deep, monotone voice. _"Bill."_

 _"You guys are sooooo good at the guessing game!"_ The triangle laughed, jumping around in Dipper's body.

 _"Leave the boy. He is mine to turn into one of my trees."_ said the Beast, with a menacing glare.

Bipper shook his head. _"No can do, BP! As much as I luv ya, this boy is mine. He made a couple of deals with me!"_

The Beast gave him a glare, began to shake, and turned around quickly, cape whooshing behind him.

The shorter boy laughed. _"Looks like your host is coming back, huh? You're weak. That's why you need all these new trees, your fire is dying out. Well... What if I could work my magic and fix that little issue?"_

The taller one glanced back, curious. _"We'll discuss it later, William."_

To that name, Bipper groaned, and immediately after, passed out of exhaustion on the forest floor.


End file.
